A senior minister was forced to deny last night that he had been anti-semitic in accusing Michael Howard and another Jewish MP of failing to stand up for British Muslims.

Mike O'Brien, the Energy Minister, issued a hasty statement after Mr Howard demanded an apology for remarks made by the minister in an emotionally charged appeal to Muslims to support Labour.

"In an article in Muslim Weekly I attacked Michael Howard as Leader of the Conservative Party and not personally," said Mr O'Brien.

"As minister for race equality from 1997 to 2001 I have a strong record in promoting good community relations, as well as challenging the evils of racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism."

The row erupted after he launched an attempt to win back Muslim voters to Labour by questioning what would happen to them if Mr Howard were prime minister.

"What will Michael Howard do for British Muslims?" he said.

"Will his foreign policy aim to help Palestine? Will he promote legislation to protect you from religious hatred and discrimination? Will he give you the choice of sending your children to a faith school? Will he stand up for the right of Muslim women to wear the hijab? Will he really fight for Turkey, a Muslim country, to join the EU? The last thing we want is to vote in anger and repent at leisure as Michael Howard, with a big smile on his face, walks through the door of Number 10."
Liam Fox, the Conservative co-chairman, last night wrote to the Labour chairman, Ian McCartney, asking him to disown the comments which he condemned as "despicable".

"The charges against Michael Howard and the Conservative Party are without foundation, and it is extraordinary that Mr O'Brien should have made them without checking his facts," said Mr Fox.

"The Conservative Party has always held certain core beliefs - the belief in freedom, personal responsibility, the creation of wealth for all and a respect for tradition and institutions. All these values are shared by British Muslims and that is why we believe that all Muslims in this country are natural conservatives.

"Mr O'Brien also made a number of specific allegations about aspects of Conservative policy that may be particularly relevant to British Muslims. These are completely incorrect. I assume you will be disowning these remarks, and trust that â as Chairman of the Labour Party â you will now instruct Mr O'Brien to withdraw them and apologise to Michael Howard."

It is not the first time that Labour has angered the Jewish community over its use of language. Mr McCartney called Oliver Letwin, another prominent Jewish member of the shadow cabinet, a "21st-century Fagan" in a speech to the Scottish Labour conference last year.

Labour denied that he had intended an anti-semitic insult by comparing the Shadow Chancellor to the villain in Oliver Twist.

Dr Fox accused the Labour Party last night of using "scare tactics, innuendo, smear, and distortion" in its latest attack.

Privately Conservative officials went further. A senior aide said: "There is a very nasty undercurrent to this tactic. It is vital that Labour disowns O'Brien's despicable remarks as soon as possible."

A Liberal Democrat backbencher also named in the article accused Mr O'Brien of singling him out because he too is Jewish.

Dr Evan Harris was attacked by Mr O'Brien for opposing new religious hatred laws. he is writing to Mr O'Brien to demand why he was singled out for criticism.

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Start canvassing your families and lets get rid of this treacherous bunch of cr*p at the next election.

"As minister for race equality from 1997 to 2001 I have a strong record in promoting good community relations, as well as challenging the evils of racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism."

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Very laudable. But if he really believes it, why does he go on to contradict himself by saying:

"Will his foreign policy aim to help Palestine? ...Will he give you the choice of sending your children to a faith school? Will he stand up for the right of Muslim women to wear the hijab? Will he really fight for Turkey, a Muslim country, to join the EU?

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I stand to be corrected, but it seems to me that xenophobia and anti-semetism are fundamentals of Islamic belief.

O'Brien comes across as yet another expendable lightweight Neue Arbeit lickspittle, sent by the Reichkanzlerei to do a bit of rabble-rousing amongst the Muslims by spouting crap he doesn't actually understand.

I was contacted by a Goanese Catholic Lady who wanted to send her child to a Faith School (Well, the local Catholic one)

They refused. The Lady concerned, has lived in the area since she came over in the 60's and wanted to send her child to a school that provided a decent standard of education , and of course, catered for her faith.

There have been all sorts of reasons given, none of which stand up to scrunity.

The lady concerned, absolutely refuses to play the race card, but is extremely disappointed that she can be discriminated against (For whatever reason as yet undetermined) within a Faith she practices devoutly.

It goes deeper than just Faith schools , and it's a slippery slope downwards. I know "Liberal" Politicians across the 3 parties who are vehemently opposed to extra Faith Schools being created, to cater for one section of the Community.

If I want to see the proposed syllabus of a Faith School, why are the Governors and Headteacher so reluctant to let me have sight of one?

We can't practise and promote multiculturalism and integration, if one section of the community, is determined that this won't happen.

I'll be blunt , there are some politicians , so determined to accomodate "Strangers in a strange land" , that they are unwittingly providing the materials to enable these communities to buld their Moat and unassailable walls.

Oh well, I expect there'll be another attempt to kick me out of the party for saying that

I was contacted by a Goanese Catholic Lady who wanted to send her child to a Faith School (Well, the local Catholic one)

They refused. The Lady concerned, has lived in the area since she came over in the 60's and wanted to send her child to a school that provided a decent standard of education , and of course, catered for her faith.

There have been all sorts of reasons given, none of which stand up to scrunity.

The lady concerned, absolutely refuses to play the race card, but is extremely disappointed that she can be discriminated against (For whatever reason as yet undetermined) within a Faith she practices devoutly.

It goes deeper than just Faith schools , and it's a slippery slope downwards. I know "Liberal" Politicians across the 3 parties who are vehemently opposed to extra Faith Schools being created, to cater for one section of the Community.

If I want to see the proposed syllabus of a Faith School, why are the Governors and Headteacher so reluctant to let me have sight of one?

We can't practise and promote multiculturalism and integration, if one section of the community, is determined that this won't happen.

I'll be blunt , there are some politicians , so determined to accomodate "Strangers in a strange land" , that they are unwittingly providing the materials to enable these communities to buld their Moat and unassailable walls.

Oh well, I expect there'll be another attempt to kick me out of the party for saying that

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Errr, off-topic PTP. Thread locked, etc.

Would be good to have your views on O'Brien's article (allegedly produced by Neu Arbeit Propaganda Machine and published under his signature).

Thanks PTP, will look forward to your as-ever instructive thoughts. Personally I think the "O'Brien" article is outrageous, irrespective of which party produced it and which party it is aimed at. The technique of propaganda as questions ("What will Michael Howard do for British Muslims?" "Will he give you the choice of sending your children to a faith school?" etc) is straight from Dr Goebbels' manual.